1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fire-fighting apparatus and more particularly to an apparatus particularly designed for home use for use in attacking small fires at the inception thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Fire-fighting apparatus for home use are known, typical of these being disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,918,782. Generally speaking, this prior art apparatus includes a cabinet having two upstanding, spaced apart guide rails mounted therein. The guide rails provide a vertical channel and storage way for a flexible fire hose having reversely folded sections. Between one guide rail and one cabinet side is securely mounted a water chamber device to which is connected an upstanding feed pipe and a parallel depending outlet pipe. A hand operated valve is connected to the depending pipe and is further connected to one end of the fire hose. A cover for the cabinet is hingedly mounted thereon at the bottom which upon being opened swings to a depending position thereby providing unencumbered access to the cabinet interior.
In still another prior art apparatus, included in addition to the foregoing, a cover plate hinged to the cabinet normally overlies the water chamber, the upstanding feed pipe, the depending outlet pipe and the hand operated valve, this cover plate being spring urged in a direction to uncover these components. The fire hose, however, when coiled and contained within the cabinet engages a portion of the cover plate holding it closed. When the hose is removed from the cabinet, the cover plate is released such that it swings away from the covered components to provide access thereto, and more especially the hand operated valve.
The aforesaid components which include the water chamber, the feed and outlet pipes and the hand operated valve are contained within a section of the cabinet disposed to one side of the section defined by the previously mentioned guide rails. The cover plate is so designed as to cover this entire component compartment which must be relatively large to provide space for the components. The number and size of the components tends to increase the complexity of the design as well as the cost.